"Wavemakers" We need change

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KAhner

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
339
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
This wasn't really a problem until a few years ago, but I think the terminology needs to change. There should be a distinction between alternating current devices and true wavemakers. For example the jbj ocean pulse can be set as low as ten second intervals. This might be able to be fine tuned in a pretty lage tank to take advantage of harmonic resonance, but it's not gonna happen in a smaller tank. I just want to gripe a little. And I'm not bashing that product. I'm probably going to buy the ocean stream wavemaker kit. Anyways, does any one know any true wavemakers other than the vortech and tunze wavebox?
 
I agree. I dont think the vortechs are actually true wave makers unless you buy an oversized unit. Or maybe its the size of the tank like you said. I have an mp10 in my biocube 29 and it does not make waves. More of a variable ph. The tunze one actually makes water rise and fall. My friend has a different brand that sits on the back of your tank but he got it off ebay and it is chinese made.
 
I think I found the one you were talking about. But it's rated at 200+ liters. I only have a 40g breeder. I think I'm just going to go with the nano wavebox. Was hoping to find something a little cheaper. Oh well it will be a few months anyways. Do you think I could drill my tank and mount on outside?
 
My friends made waves but needed constant maintence. It had outputs on 2 sides and was designed to go in the middle back of tank.

Do you mean drill tank just to put wave box on? I think they work by being submerged in the water. But if you want a sump I would drill the tank for sure.
 
Yea I meant for the wavebox. I'm hooking up my sump soon. Just need to build my stand. Actually my grandpa is for Christmas. I'm just gonna use the hang on overflow I already have for now. But I'm def going to drill it. My overflow loses suction. Never really had a problem with it. But I gotta suck air out every week or two. I think it's because it's way oversized. It doesn't flow enough to get the air out. It's a double tube one, so I usually am able to just block one tube and it flows enough to get the air out the other.
 
I think I found the one you were talking about. But it's rated at 200+ liters. I only have a 40g breeder. I think I'm just going to go with the nano wavebox. Was hoping to find something a little cheaper. Oh well it will be a few months anyways. Do you think I could drill my tank and mount on outside?

200 liters is equivilant to ~50 US gallons. this thread just made a light bulb go off and makes me want to try experimenting with a few things. seeing that all a water wave is, is a very low frequency sound wave.....
 
Bige said:
I agree. I dont think the vortechs are actually true wave makers unless you buy an oversized unit. Or maybe its the size of the tank like you said. I have an mp10 in my biocube 29 and it does not make waves. More of a variable ph. The tunze one actually makes water rise and fall. My friend has a different brand that sits on the back of your tank but he got it off ebay and it is chinese made.

I have an MP10 in my 29 std & it makes a nice standing wave @ 1/2 power. I think it's more a shape issue for the cube. 2 mp10s would probably work - but that's the tank not the PH.
 
I think it would be much harder to generate a wave in a half circle tank. Is it even possible?
 
Yea it probably is much harder. If u could it would probably be much easier with a wavebox than a vortech. I think the boxes relly more on the up and down motion than the bouncing of current. This is just what I'm thinking. No actuall data, or experience.
 
uggg, this is a ongoing issue for me at he moment. I have A 54g corner and I use a JBJ wavemaker with the 500 ph's. Worthless, I've tried every combo you can think of & they are not cutting it. I am going to order the larger PH they have and hope it isn't to much.
 
I've got 1 1650 ph in my 75g and the flow is crazy! I point it towards the middle of the tank and I get pretty cool waves at the top. Idk if you can tell but it's like a flowing or gushing river on my tank.
 
What we are talking about is a standing or resonant wave. A wave box might work better in that application; a Vortech relies on resonance (bouncing waves off a flat surface at a specific frequency). This requires wider flow or multiple synced sources on a wide tank or simply isn't possible on a curved tank (corner or 1/2 circle - bowfront would likely work).

That being said, I'm not sure of the hydrodynamics used by a box. If it requires the wave to bounce back, even a box wouldn't work on a curved tank.
 
I feel Like it will take 3 mid size power heads in my corner to achieve what I want without blowing my corals completely away.
 
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